The claimed invention relates to a lid assembly. In particular the invention relates to a lid assembly for use on a paint can or fluid reservoir.
Airless paint sprayers use a paint cup that is attached to the sprayer housing, or an accessory hose that extends from the paint sprayer housing to a paint can or fluid reservoir. With the latter, paint in the reservoir is suctioned into the paint sprayer through a hose that extends from the sprayer housing into the reservoir. Paint is pumped from the reservoir, through the accessory hose, through the housing, and out the nozzle of the sprayer for application of the paint to a surface. It is desirable that the end of the hose is positioned at the bottom of the reservoir so that all the paint may be suctioned from the reservoir during use.
Hoses that are conventionally provided as an accessory with airless paint sprayers are shipped in the same box as the paint sprayer. In order to fit the hose in the box, the hose is coiled. The hose oftentimes takes on a coiled shape and rebounds to this coiled shape even when unwound. Hoses often coil upwardly so that the end of the hose is no longer positioned at the bottom of the reservoir. As a result, positioning the coiled end of the hose at the bottom of a paint reservoir may be problematic. Hoses often coil upwardly so that the end of the hose is no longer positioned at the bottom of the reservoir. Various devices have been utilized to solve this problem, such as a clip that may be positioned on the side of a paint can and that holds the hose in position near the bottom of the can.
The claimed invention concerns a lid assembly for a paint reservoir. The lid assembly includes a lid, a first rigid suction tube, and a second rigid suction tube. The lid is configured to couple to and cover an opening of a paint reservoir and includes a cover member having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a flange extending downwardly from the periphery of the cover member. The cover member also includes a suction opening and a vent opening that extend axially through the cover member. The suction opening includes a first tubular member that extends downwardly from the cover member.
The first suction tube extends through the first tubular member so that an upper end of the first suction tube extends above the upper surface of the cover member and a lower end of the first suction tube extends below the lower surface of the cover member. The second suction tube is coupled to and extends downwardly from the first suction tube, and is configured to extend near a bottom surface of the paint reservoir. A filter may be coupled to a lower end of the second suction tube.
The cover member may also include a bypass opening that extends axially through the cover member. The bypass opening comprises a second tubular member that extends upwardly from the upper surface of the cover member. A bypass hose may be coupled to the second tubular member and a suction hose may be coupled to the upper end of the first suction tube. In one embodiment, the cover member is disc-shaped and may be circular.